Carton opener



April 1950 R. E. WINEBRENNER 2,504,913

CARTON OPENER Filed June 29, 1945 2 Sh eetsSheet 1 505E375 W NEB/Ef/VNEB.

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April 1950 R. E. WINEBRENNER 2,504,913

CARTON OPENER Filed June 29, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 gwuamlo'rl E0552 TE. M/I/VEBEEJV/VE/Q.

Patented Apr. 18 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FF-ICE CARTONOPENER 7 Robert E. Winehrenner, Hanover, ,Pa.

Application June 29, 1945, Serial No.z6.02;263

, Claims. 1

This inventionrelates to containers, and more particularly, to openers for cartons of cardboardand the like.

It is an object of the presentinvention to provide a new and improved opener for cartons of cardboard and the like, that will avoid one or more of the disadvantages and limitations of similar devices -of this nature, previously developed.

Another object of this inventionis to provide a new and improved opener for cartons, that will be power-driven but capable-of manual manipulation,'adjustable for-itswork andsafe to handle.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a newand improved "opener for cartons that will do its work effectively without spilling or defacing the contents of the container.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved opener for cartons that will catch the carton material 'removed during the opening; that will perform its work quickly and expeditiously and which can be applied to the carton with the greatest facility.

There have been a number of types and kinds of cutters and openers used for opening cardboard cartons, but such depend, usually, on the use of a stationary knife guided on the surfaces of the box and run adjacent to the edge, the power necessary to do the slitting or cutting, being obtained from the physical efforts of the individual employing same. This invention em ploys power derived from some artificial source of energy, to operate its cutting functions, and its travel along the work it is passing over. It collects the dust and debris created while cutting, and is adjustable to the particular carton on which it is applied. v

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, while its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a carton opener embodying this invention and applied to a carton and with parts broken to show its construction,

Figure 2 is a plan view looking in the direction of arrows 2-2 shown in Figure 1, V

Figure 3 is an underside view looking up in the direction of arrows 3-3 shown in Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the opener and looking in the direction of arrows 4-4 shown in Figure 1, this shows its mechanism for adjusting the .saw transversely,

Figure 5 is ,a sectional view through the opener looking in the direction of arrows 5--5 shown in Figure 1,

Figure 6 shows the corner of the carton after the saw has cut through the side wall, and

Figure 7 shows the corner of the carton after the saw has cut through the side and top walls.

Similar reference characteristics refer to similar .parts throughout the drawings.

Referring particularly to Figure 1 in this particular form, a cutter guard consists of a pair of similar plates H and I2 respectively, arranged at right angles to each other, spaced apartby an intermediate channel section or saddle M. The saddle M is formed into a U-like contour in section, with the arms slanting together to join the plates "H and I2. The free end portions of the plates are slightly flared to enable the guard to be slid against the corner of rectangular carton IS. The plates engage and press'flatly against the sides of the carton, when in position thereon. In the U-like space formed in the saddle It, a rotary saw I5 is disposed and held by a shaft lb of an electric motor 11. The guard includes an elongated slot 2| through which the shaft 16 projects to enable the saw to operate freely, in about the middle of the saddle space. The slot 2| permits the saddle to be moved laterally on the shaft 16. This enables the saw to be adjustably disposed in the saddle for the purpose of cutting the corner of the carton in various positions. The motor [1 is preferably made small enough to permit the user to manipulate the whole device as a unit. The saddle I4 is mounted on a frame l8, slidable on the face of the section I4, and adjustably secured by bolts l9 through slots 20 therein. The channel section or saddle [4 has an elongated slot 2| to accommodate the movement of shaft IE therein. The motor is small and is formed with its outside casing made suitable for holding in a hand and is adjustably joined to the frame [8, through an adjustable nipple 26 on the end of the motor IT. This nipple permits the adjustment of the motor to and from the frame l8, so as to vary the position of the saw I5 in relationship to the corner of the carton l3. At an accessible location and convenient to operate is a switch 22 for putting the motor on or off the circuit which supplies the current to it through the flexible cable 23.

The position of the saw is so situated that the placement of the opener on the carton for cutting the corner edge ofi, will place it at an angle as shown in the drawings. The saw I diagonally cuts as much oiT the corner of the carton as its extended position in the saddle permits. The saddle I4 is adjusted through the use of the bolts I 9 to suit the corner. The amount of the saw l5 adjustment feasible is indicated by the dotted outline in Figure 1. These various adjustments enable the device to meet any conditions expected with cartons, when opening them.

The operator holds the motor in his hand and places it on the carton, and then closes the switch 22. The motor operates and rotates the saw, which cuts and travels along the edge. The motor acts as a handle for this device.

I claim:

1. A carton opener comprising, a guard including side plates and a channel section, a motor attached to said guard, a shaft operated by the motor extending through and into a space encompassed by said channel section, a rotary saw positioned on said shaft and actuated thereby, means for operably positioning the saw in said space, said plates being arranged to rest flatly against the sides of a carton and dispose the saw over a predetermined portion thereof to enable the saw to move longitudinally along the carton and remove a substantial strip portion of the carton to permit access to the interior thereof.

2. A carton opener comprising, a guard including a pair of side plates projecting from a channel section arranged to encompass a corner portion of a carton by contacting the sides thereof adjacent thereto, a frame laterally adjustable on the channel section, a motor adjustable on the frame, a shaft on the motor extending through the frame into the channel section, said shaft being adjustably positioned in the channel section by the adjustment of said motor, a rotary saw positioned on the shaft operably disposed in the frame and adjustable therein through the adjustment of means attached to the motor and shaft, whereby the saw may cut-ofi said corner portion.

3. A carton opener comprising, a guard including a pair of side plates projecting from a channel section arranged to encompass a corner portion of a carton by contacting the sides thereof adjacent thereto, a frame laterally adjustable on the channel section, a motor adjustable on the frame, a shaft on the motor extending through the frame into the channel section, said shaft being adjustably positioned in the channel section by the adjustment of said motor, a rotary saw positioned on the shaft operably disposed in the frame and adjustable therein through the adjustment of means attached to the motor and shaft, whereby the saw may cut-off said corner portion, longitudinally along same, said side plates being spaced from each on opposite sides of the channel section and in planes at right angles to each other and having their free edges flared to permit a facile placement of the carton'opener on the carton.

ROBERT E. WINEBRENNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 718,882 Savaria Jan. 20, 1903 1,898,910 Stein Feb. 21, 1933 1,976,150 Stein Oct. 9, 1934 2,067,986 Schmidt Jan. 19, 1937 2,204,267 Wyres June 11, 1940 2,233,304 Belanger Apr. 15, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 404,107 Germany Oct. 15, 1924 

